I didn’t have to wait long to catch sight of her again. Ayda slipped out of the gap she’d made for herself in the gate, her face pale and eyes wide as she searched for me where I’d been standing when she’d headed to the house. The moment she found me closer to her than she’d expected, she rushed forward, panic pressing her lips together.
“Rubin has a gun on Walsh.” Her voice was shaking almost as violently as her hands.
My body froze, eyes popping wide as I stared at her and let the words sink in. “Rubin has a gun onWalsh?”
“I saw them through a window. I think it’s Walsh’s office. It looked like he was in the middle of something–” She cut herself off and shook her head. “They’re arguing.”
“Fuck.” I moved quickly, swerving around her and placingthe two most important things in my life behind me as I began to march forward. I knew she’d follow, no matter what I told her to do. “Remember your promise, Ayda,” I called quietly over my shoulder.
“I know, Drew.” She followed me to the gate and pointed at a large bay window located farthest from where we were.
I looked up at the high points of the building, checking for cameras or any type of security. There wasn’t anything in my sight. Even though I knew that didn’t mean it wasn’t there, I pushed on, desperate to get to Rubin and stop him from doing something that could see a bright young kid like him spending years in prison. Anyone could pull a trigger. Not everyone could handle the consequences that went with that.
I reached the window, pressing myself against the brickwork of their home, back and hands flat to it as I peered around the edge of the window. Just as she’d told me, Rubin was standing in front of his father, his hands raised high, legs shoulders width apart as he held the gun out like that of an experienced shooter.
Maybe I was underestimating him.
Maybe he had this under control.
‘Maybe’ wasn’t enough of a guarantee for me.
Glancing back at Ayda, I signaled for her to remain quiet, and if necessary, for her to stay out here until I could guarantee Walsh didn’t have a weapon, too. She gave a nod of understanding, and I saw the flash of love she had for me shining back. I held onto that for a few seconds longer before I slid my gun from the waistband of my jeans, knocked off the safety, closed my eyes, and counted down from ten.
Then I moved, swinging a foot out to turn me around before I shot at three edges of the window, the noise piercing the air around us as a distraction. Glass shattered, and I raised a heavy boot to the edges, kicking it out as fast as I could, ignoring the rain of it falling around. As soon as I had enoughclearance, and with my gun aimed high, I jumped over the low ledge, and stepped into the mayor’s home, looking up in time to see Walsh’s face turn pale, and Rubin’s eyes light up with relief.
“Don’t you fucking move,” I warned the mayor, aiming my gun directly at him.
“Get the hell out of my home,” he fired back, his tone authoritative and full of arrogance.
“Go fuck yourself, Walsh. This is my town.”
“Nothing around here belongs to you.”
Shifting some stray glass from under the soles of my boots, I kicked them to the side and eyed Rubin.
“Wanna tell me what’s going on here, kid?”
Rubin’s face was pale, despite his obvious relief at me being there. His arms had begun to shake, and I wondered how long he’d been holding his father in place with his threat of bullets and pain. Rubin looked at his dad, and he licked his dry lips to get his mouth to work properly.
“You’re in so far over your head,” Walsh said sharply.
“You shut your mouth,” Rubin croaked.
I looked between the two of them, taking in the body language and the obvious hatred for one another. Hatred was a strong emotion, and knowing the love I already had for my unborn child, I struggled like hell to understand how a father could look at their son that way.
“The Hounds have got inside your head, boy. You don’t know what they’re really like.”
“I know they’re better than you. I know they appreciate loyalty and family. I know their lies are always meant to protect those they love, rather than to make them rich and feed their greed like you.”
“You have no idea what I’ve done for you, you ungrateful piece of sh—”
I shot at the mayor’s feet at once, purposely missing by aninch, close enough to scare the son of a bitch into watching his mouth. His shoulders jumped, and he raised his hands in the air, a sharp, hard swallow making his Adam’s apple sink and rise with obvious pain.
“Your boy may have doubts about shooting you, Mayor, but I can assure you... I don’t,” I told him.
The crunch of glass behind me told me that Ayda had approached, but she didn’t enter.
I stretched my neck to one side, making sure to focus on the problem in front of me.